Recent Bird Sightings - 2016
Recent Bird Sightings - November 9
We have seen an influx in birds over the last week, so a new sightings report was warranted. Sandhill cranes are commonly flying through and some can be seen in the mornings and evenings in fields surrounding Cheyenne Bottoms. No Whooping cranes have been observed at Cheyenne Bottoms, but seve...
Recent Bird Sightings - October 28
It is hard to say we are in Fall migration as temperatures continue to be ~20 degrees above normal temperatures for the end of October. However, we are seeing more Fall migrants coming through the Cheyenne Bottoms area. The common birds being seen at Cheyenne Bottoms inclu...
Recent Bird Sightings - September 29
Fall migration continues, and we wait for the next wave of migrating birds to arrive as weather fronts from the north push the birds to the wetlands. Several species of birds have already passed through (e.g. most shorebird species) and some of the summer residents have exi...
Recent Bird Sightings - August 29
Fall migration is in full swing, but remember, the Fall migration is drawn out over several months, unlike in the Spring. From now through November, we will see waves of different birds come in as weather fronts push birds from their northern breeding grounds. So far, we have a...
Recent Bird Sightings - July 29
Early Fall migration has begun. Over the last week, an influx of migrating shorebirds has come in to Cheyenne Bottoms. Summer resident birds also remain abundant. Bird activity on the marsh has been relatively good at about any time of day, even on hot days. Water ...
Recent Bird Sightings - June 24
Summer conditions have been prevalent at the wetlands over the last few weeks. Temperatures have been in the upper 90’s to 100’s for over 2 weeks. Surprisingly, even with the extreme heat, bird activity on the marsh has been relatively good. Pools were seeing...
Recent Bird Sightings - June 7
The Spring migration has slowed dramatically over the last 2 weeks. While some good birds still exist, numbers and diversity have dramatically decreased. This decrease is basically because of two main reasons. 1. June is historically one of the slower birding months at C...
Recent Bird Sightings - May 23
The Spring migration has been excellent this year. Rains supplying some much needed water in the Cheyenne Bottoms pools along with excellent management of that water by KDWPT staff, have provided a great diversity of habitats and birding opportunities throughout the Spring migration season....
White Ibis spotted at CBWA
Photo by Dan Witt A White Ibis was observed at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area on Saturday, April 30 about 1 mile NE of the KWEC building along K-156 Hwy. The bird, an adult ibis, was with a group of about 150 White-faced Ibis. According the Robert Penner’s book The Birds of Che...
Recent Bird Sightings - May 1
Opportune rains have brought much needed moisture to the wetlands over the last 2 weeks. KDWPT staff has managed the inflowing water well, while also preserving excellent mudflat habitats for thousands of migrating shorebirds. TNC staff estimated over 150,000 “peeps” during s...
Recent Bird Sightings - April 12
Despite many windy days, the past couple weeks have produced some excellent birding! Several “first of season birds” have been reported in the last couple weeks, including Eared Grebe, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, White-faced Ibis, Piping Plover, Black-necked Stil...
Recent Bird Sightings - March 23
Early Spring migration continues. Several “first of season birds” have been reported in the last couple weeks, including Ruddy Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, American Golden Plover, American Avocet, Western Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Ye...